I wasn't sure if I overheard my father's conversation with my aunty loud enough or I was just imagining things. I wanted to be sure. It did not sound real.
Aunty Tessa was my father's older and only sister. She was almost sixty, yet unmarried. But she had a unique kind of sweetness. She was the only one I could really call my own in the family. Whenever she visited, she always made sure everyone was doing fine. She treated me and Penelope equally but I felt she liked me better. Though our mother never liked her. And I don't know why.
I was going to tell my father that I had finally gotten a job after they had made me feel useless. I hoped he would be happy for me.
"How was your day, Dad?" I had asked. He was almost dozing off on the couch. He looked tired.
"My day was fine. Is there anything you want?"
I was used to him immediately asking me if I wanted something whenever I came to speak to him. I always wondered if he sometimes really wanted to talk to me as a daughter without having to ask about something. Maybe to ask about my day, my health or life in general. His replies always sounded like I was problematic.
"I got the job." I said finally.
"Really? What company? Or organization?" He asked, and tilted a bit on the couch, so it could be easy for him to hear me.
My face dropped. I felt my answer would be disappointing to him now. But I had to tell him.
"No, dad. I mean I'll be working as a sales girl now. The pay is not bad." I said, a little scared. I was waiting for the worst. But he didn't say anything. He adjusted again. Then crossed his legs. I waited for a few minutes, but nothing came from him.
"Dad, did you hear me?"
"Of course I heard you!" He snapped.
I froze with fear at the sound of his voice. I should have gone when he said that to me. I should have known that it didn't go well with him. But I stayed. I did not know why. I did not know what else I wanted him to say to him. But I got what I wanted. He said exactly what I knew he was going to say. If I had left earlier I would have been saved from those words.
"I knew you were not going to say anything important. Laura, do you ever think that you are capable of something better? Are you not tired of making a fool of yourself and embarrassing us? You are happily telling me you got a job as a sales agent. Really? Did we train you to become some kind of maid out there?"
He said a lot more. But because I couldn't bear to hear any of it, only my ears could hear, not my mind. Nothing got into my head anymore. I thought of what he said. I believed him to some extent. Maybe I was making a fool of myself. Maybe I should do something better with my life. But what? What was there for me to do? Absolutely nothing.
Well, Aunty Tessa walked in immediately. I'm sure she heard him when he screamed at me. I could not welcome her properly. I was already sad.
"Welcome, aunt tess. You didn't say you were coming."
"I wanted to surprise you all. I flew in from Africa some days back." she said while hugging me. She had a special liking for Africans and the continent in general. She spent most of her vacations there.
"Where's your sister?"
"She went out with mum. They'll be back soon." I said.
"Go to your room. I want to speak with your dad." I left them and went up to my room. Tears dropped from my eyes while I recalled the harsh words from my father. I called Thomas to tell him I was coming over. I needed to clear my head. I was just about to come down from the stairs when I heard my aunty.
"Does she even know the truth?" I heard her ask my father. It seemed like they had had a lengthy argument while I was away.
Who were they talking about? I listened keenly.
"Tessa, you don't have to talk about it every time you show up here. She doesn't need to know. It's long gone. We are doing fine." My father said,
"Well it doesn't look like that to me. I overheard you earlier. That is not how you speak to your own child. This is not you!"
Wow, they were talking about me. Well I was glad that at least my aunty could talk to him about the way he treats me. But what truth were they talking about?
"That's enough Tessa. I'm just trying to raise her well. Let her do well like her sister."
"That's not what you're doing. If her mother were alive she would have treated her right. You married that witch of yours and she has absolute control of you, your thoughts and your decisions!"
"My mother?" I asked in shock. I did not know I said it out loud. They heard me and kept quiet. I came down slowly from the stairs, still shocked.
My aunt was trying to change the topic. But I wanted to know if I heard correctly. I wanted to know if I wasn't just imagining things.
"I have a different mother?" I asked again. My gaze moved from my aunt to my dad while they stood there, mute.
"Have you seen? I'm sure you're happy now." My father told her.
"Well she has to know. I did not ask you to keep it from her for such a long time. "
"Somebody should explain what I just heard now!" I screamed with my hands on my head, trying to process the whole thing.
My aunt tried to calm me down. But I wasn't ready for any petting. I just wanted to be sure.
"Aunt Tess, did you just say I have a different mother from Penelope? I know what I heard. You all should not play dumb with me. Just tell me what I need to know. Dad?"
"You really don't have to worry..." My father began to say.
"Just fucking tell me! I'm not a child!"
"Okay, Laura. There's no point hiding it anyway. Your mum died when you were born. Your father married Penelope's mother a few months after to take care of you. I was taking care of you from birth but I fell ill. I only got discharged months after being unconscious to realize that your father had remarried."
"So she's not my mother." I said, as if I did not just hear the explanation clearly.
"Yes. I would have been there for you. But...".
"It's not your fault aunty," I said, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Laura, you were a child. There was nothing I could do. Someone had to be there to take care of you. There was no choice." My dad said.
"Why then did you keep it from me? And you watched your wife treat me like a helpless, homeless child. Including you! You should have told me she wasn't my mother. It's all clear now. I know why she's so wicked..."
"My stepmother walked in just immediately."
